Exarcheia : lieu de refuge ou territoire à défendre ? Controverses autour de la gestion des indésirables
This article explores the relationship between space and political action in the Athenian neighborhood of Exarcheia, the geographical base of the Greek anti-authoritarian movement. Since 2015, several migrant squats have developed in the neighborhood. This article analyses the controversies sparked...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Université de Reims Champagne-Ardennes
2020-02-01
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| Series: | L'Espace Politique |
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| Online Access: | https://journals.openedition.org/espacepolitique/6784 |
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| author | Simone Spera |
| author_facet | Simone Spera |
| author_sort | Simone Spera |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This article explores the relationship between space and political action in the Athenian neighborhood of Exarcheia, the geographical base of the Greek anti-authoritarian movement. Since 2015, several migrant squats have developed in the neighborhood. This article analyses the controversies sparked by the opening up of the neighborhood to migrants and marginalized urban groups. It draws on a mixed-methods inquiry, based on participant observation in one squat for two months, and on discourse analysis of 35 activists’ publications on Indymedia, an online platform of the anti-authoritarian movement. Firstly, the study of these debates shows that the migrants’ transience and socio-economic instability has hindered their ability to build a substantive relationship with the neighborhood. Secondly, the involvement of some migrants in drug dealing has made them undesirable in the eyes of certain anti-authoritarian activists, who have attempted to enforce physical and moral borders against them in order to preserve a territory of struggle. Such defensive measures, however, justified by the argument that « marginal groups » must take responsibility for their own emancipation, have involved exercises of authority which contradict the conception of Exarcheia as an anti-authoritarian place of refuge. Finally, drawing on the reflections of activists themselves, this research examines the link between the state management of the undesirables and retributive actions carried out by members of the movement. In this way, the study examines how space can put the ideological coherence of an anti-authoritarian project to the test. This article contributes to analyses of space as both opportunity and constraint for collective action: it shows Exarcheia’s double nature of place embodying universalist political claims and representations, and of materially and socially bounded territory, necessary for the reproduction of these very representations. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-83a8bb085a4d486887eea49600281a0b |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1958-5500 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2020-02-01 |
| publisher | Université de Reims Champagne-Ardennes |
| record_format | Article |
| series | L'Espace Politique |
| spelling | doaj-art-83a8bb085a4d486887eea49600281a0b2025-08-20T03:07:25ZengUniversité de Reims Champagne-ArdennesL'Espace Politique1958-55002020-02-013810.4000/espacepolitique.6784Exarcheia : lieu de refuge ou territoire à défendre ? Controverses autour de la gestion des indésirablesSimone SperaThis article explores the relationship between space and political action in the Athenian neighborhood of Exarcheia, the geographical base of the Greek anti-authoritarian movement. Since 2015, several migrant squats have developed in the neighborhood. This article analyses the controversies sparked by the opening up of the neighborhood to migrants and marginalized urban groups. It draws on a mixed-methods inquiry, based on participant observation in one squat for two months, and on discourse analysis of 35 activists’ publications on Indymedia, an online platform of the anti-authoritarian movement. Firstly, the study of these debates shows that the migrants’ transience and socio-economic instability has hindered their ability to build a substantive relationship with the neighborhood. Secondly, the involvement of some migrants in drug dealing has made them undesirable in the eyes of certain anti-authoritarian activists, who have attempted to enforce physical and moral borders against them in order to preserve a territory of struggle. Such defensive measures, however, justified by the argument that « marginal groups » must take responsibility for their own emancipation, have involved exercises of authority which contradict the conception of Exarcheia as an anti-authoritarian place of refuge. Finally, drawing on the reflections of activists themselves, this research examines the link between the state management of the undesirables and retributive actions carried out by members of the movement. In this way, the study examines how space can put the ideological coherence of an anti-authoritarian project to the test. This article contributes to analyses of space as both opportunity and constraint for collective action: it shows Exarcheia’s double nature of place embodying universalist political claims and representations, and of materially and socially bounded territory, necessary for the reproduction of these very representations.https://journals.openedition.org/espacepolitique/6784territorymigrantsbordersAthenssquatcontroversies |
| spellingShingle | Simone Spera Exarcheia : lieu de refuge ou territoire à défendre ? Controverses autour de la gestion des indésirables L'Espace Politique territory migrants borders Athens squat controversies |
| title | Exarcheia : lieu de refuge ou territoire à défendre ? Controverses autour de la gestion des indésirables |
| title_full | Exarcheia : lieu de refuge ou territoire à défendre ? Controverses autour de la gestion des indésirables |
| title_fullStr | Exarcheia : lieu de refuge ou territoire à défendre ? Controverses autour de la gestion des indésirables |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exarcheia : lieu de refuge ou territoire à défendre ? Controverses autour de la gestion des indésirables |
| title_short | Exarcheia : lieu de refuge ou territoire à défendre ? Controverses autour de la gestion des indésirables |
| title_sort | exarcheia lieu de refuge ou territoire a defendre controverses autour de la gestion des indesirables |
| topic | territory migrants borders Athens squat controversies |
| url | https://journals.openedition.org/espacepolitique/6784 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT simonespera exarcheialieuderefugeouterritoireadefendrecontroversesautourdelagestiondesindesirables |